Landtech Blog | Civil and Structural Engineers | Fremont CAhttp://info.landtech.com
Civil & Structural Engineering SolutionsWed, 01 Nov 2017 18:01:50 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1East Bay Development vs. Community Interestshttp://info.landtech.com/east-bay-development-community/
http://info.landtech.com/east-bay-development-community/#commentsWed, 01 Nov 2017 18:01:48 +0000http://info.landtech.com/?p=396By Kamal S. Obeid, SE, P.E. I first started as a civil engineer during the 1980s. At that time, Fremont, California, located in the East Bay of California’s San Francisco Bay Area, was a sleepy suburban community in the backdrop of the larger region. The not-too-distant Silicon Valley was in the throes of a recession. […]

I first started as a civil engineer during the 1980s. At that time, Fremont, California, located in the East Bay of California’s San Francisco Bay Area, was a sleepy suburban community in the backdrop of the larger region. The not-too-distant Silicon Valley was in the throes of a recession. The historical farming community was evolving with acres of land being developed into subdivisions and ancillary commercial strip center development. Large areas of pristine open space were under threat from encroaching suburbia. The City of Fremont government, actively dealing with development pressure and market forces, was also beginning to steer the City away from unplanned, market-driven development.

Today, a gateway to the greater Silicon Valley, the City looks much different and is the center of new transit-oriented development that is transforming the region. In fact, East Bay development is changing the entire Bay Area as we strive to meet the needs of people in a housing shortage while remaining committed to green and sustainable building. Developers are bound to meet obstacles because there are many stakeholders involved, and the project must fulfill economic, legal, and community obligations. How does one balance business interests with those of the community, such as the mandates for affordable housing or any neighborhood objections to East Bay development? In my experience, it’s best to listen to all sides and find creative ways to balance the seemingly opposing interests of project profitability, the neighborhood, the City, and the community-at-large.

Stories of Proposed East Bay Development

Aerial view of Downtown OaklandA few months ago, a developer and community activists seemed to be pitted against each other over an approved 126-unit residential tower project to be built in the East Bay’s Downtown Oakland. Bay Development faced criticism because the planned tower would block views of an adjacent mural and impact a neighboring arts center. The building’s story could have ended before it began– the City Council was scheduled to hear an appeal of the project’s approval. Instead, the developer listened to concerns and negotiations were mediated by the City Council president. Bay Development agreed to pay $100,000 to replace the mural (subsidized with $40,000 in public funds) and another $160,00 for renovations to the arts center. It is rare to have a market-rate project subject to such demands, but in this case, the developer recognized the need for community and cultural benefits and was able to compromise with the activists. Though the hundreds of thousands of dollars in concessions seems to be a loss for the developer, ultimately, the project is moving forward and is an example of people working together to balance their interests.

Rendering of Downtown Fremont. Image courtesy of Fremont.gov

Sometimes, the stories of East Bay development end well, and other times, the projects become stalled for what can seem like an eternity. The latter may be the case for a proposed high-density apartment complex to be built on the site of Fremont’s last farm, though it’s still a great example of people working together. In March of this year, the developer Carmel Partners revised its plans for the second time after facing initial objections from the neighborhood last November. The Walnut Avenue apartments–a complex to be located in the heart of Fremont’s up-and-coming downtown district and walking distance from a transit station–was the subject of contentious debate by neighboring residents, who said the project had inadequate parking and was too dense and tall. What’s interesting is that in this situation, the developer was in line with the City of Fremont’s interest for high-density housing within a transit area, and their original proposal abided by the City’s maximum zoning of 70 units per acre. But, because of resident objections, the developer reduced the proposed number of 882 apartment units down to 670. Neighbors also stated that the tall buildings would block the view of the Fremont Hills, and so the developer lowered the height of the planned buildings from four- and five-story heights to three- and four-stories. Again, though the concessions may seem like a loss for the developer, ultimately, they expressed the desire to be “good neighbors,” and ultimately, this neighborly spirit is what drives projects to completion.

East Bay Development Projects Set to Move Forward

A discussion of East Bay development would be lacking without the mention of six major projects that are being planned and will probably change the face of the entire region. These six huge projects include the following:

The Brooklyn Basin project planned for Oakland’s waterfront

Redevelopment of Alameda’s Naval Base, which has been closed for about 20 years

Fremont’s transit-oriented development initiative in Warm Springs

A UC Global Campus in Richmond

A redevelopment of Dublin’s Camp Parks site, a World War II installation

A great example of East Bay development that provides many public benefits is Oakland’s Brooklyn Basin Project. Plans have already been filed by Signature Development Group for the first building in the 65-acre planned urban infill community to be located on former brownfield property that was closed to the public. The project will provide public benefits like affordable housing and 32 acres of parks and marinas. About 3,100 housing units will be built, providing much-needed housing in a city where rents have been dramatically increasing. There will also be 200,000 square feet of retail, including a grocery store for an underserved area.

Perhaps the example of the most profitable of the six projects is the Concord Naval Base Redevelopment. This multibillion dollar real estate project has been in the works since 2002 and will be one of the largest and most expensive redevelopments in the Bay Area. The 2200-acre former naval base may eventually have six million square feet of commercial real estate and 12,000 new homes. Such a profitable project was highly sought after, and there was some drama in the story of who won the project. Two weeks before the City Council’s vote, Catellus Development Corp. dropped out of the running and accused Lennar Urban of inappropriate lobbying of a council member. Then in April 2016, the City Council delayed choosing the only developer left, Lennar, because of some unanswered questions, such as how much affordable housing would be included, and questions about mitigation of increased traffic and revenue sharing plans. Finally, Lennar Urban was unanimously chosen as the developer of the first 500 acres of the former base. As the master developer, they are expected to generate $6 billion. But, even though the business interests of the project were met, the needs of the community were just as important for the project to proceed.

Rendering of Fremont Warm Springs. Image courtesy of Fremont.gov

As a civil engineer located in Fremont, the transformation project of Warm Springs is especially interesting to me. It is also one of the best examples of East Bay development where people have worked together to make it happen. I remember when the old General Motors auto plant was located there. Now, Tesla is operating out of the old factory and the entire industrial region is becoming a transit-oriented innovation district next to the new Warm Springs BART station. Eventually, the mixed-use area is planned to hold 20,000 jobs and 4,000 new residential units. The plans for this area have been years in the making, and the City has worked alongside the developers to bring it to reality. The interests of the neighborhood have been heard at numerous council meetings, and the interests of the community-at-large have also been considered. The greater Bay Area will benefit from the new residences that will be set aside for affordable housing and from the new transit-accessible retail and employment centers. From my experience, it’s a great example of East Bay development and if all stakeholders work together to balance their interests, we’ll be able to move forward on other sustainable and profitable projects that will help the Bay Area thrive.

Image 1 Credit: Old Santos Farm, Fremont, CA. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. This file comes from the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) or Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS). These are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consist of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written reports.

]]>http://info.landtech.com/east-bay-development-community/feed/0Beyond Bay Area Green Building: Developing “Healthy” Workplaceshttp://info.landtech.com/beyond-bay-area-green-building-healthy/
http://info.landtech.com/beyond-bay-area-green-building-healthy/#commentsWed, 04 May 2016 23:37:57 +0000http://info.landtech.com/?p=385Peter Akinosho, a civil engineering student at the University of Georgia, spoke about why he chose the profession: “[Civil engineers] do what we do so people don’t have to worry about their basic needs.” Paramount among these needs is health. We are building structures for tomorrow’s generations, who are more conscious about the benefits of […]

Peter Akinosho, a civil engineering student at the University of Georgia, spoke about why he chose the profession: “[Civil engineers] do what we do so people don’t have to worry about their basic needs.” Paramount among these needs is health. We are building structures for tomorrow’s generations, who are more conscious about the benefits of maintaining an active lifestyle, even at work. Especially in the realm of Bay Area green building, tech giants are building headquarters with green roofs equipped for walking meetings, and offer daylighting, yoga, and healthy food. To remain competitive for clients, we developers, architects, and engineers must work together to design and build developments that are not only sustainable but also promote the health of the people who use them.

Start with Bay Area Green Building

Our journey to “healthy” buildings begins with a foundation of sustainability, whose framework is provided by both the California Green Building Code (CALGreen) and the optional Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. California was the first state in the nation in 2011 to implement a mandatory green building code, CALGreen, which covers nearly all residential and nonresidential construction in California. The code’s voluntary and mandatory measures are intended to streamline green building design to reduce the state’s carbon output. The optional LEED certification has been around for much longer and has compelled architects and builders to increase energy efficiency and reduce water usage through a point system created by the U.S. Green Building Council.

There is some overlap for developers who already must comply with CALGreen, but would like to pursue LEED certification as well. An alternative documentation path for LEED was established in July 2015, to reduce paperwork for nonresidential projects already subject to the mandatory 2013 CALGreen standards. Projects can provide this set of documents instead of the standard LEED documentation to establish compliance.

Beyond LEED to WELL

It is great that we’ve learned how to design for the health of the environment, which often coincides with planning for people’s health. For example, the mandatory and voluntary measures contained in CALGreen and the LEED certification provide steps to maintain optimal indoor air quality and limit harmful pollutants, especially from paint finishes and carpets. However, what about the subtle connections of building design to health like the design of stairwells, so people use them instead of elevators? These are questions that Paul Scialla, founder of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), found himself asking around eight years ago. He realized the health care community had put more emphasis on lifestyle and preventative approaches to health, but there was no standard for integrating the link between design and public health into the real estate industry. So, he decided to create one: the WELL Building standard. The U.S. Green Building Council, the creator of LEED, is helping to develop the WELL certification process further to “reinvent buildings that are not only better for the planet—but also for people (Source: USGBC, “Introduction to the WELL Building Standard).”

Bay Area “Healthy” Workplaces

Many Bay Area technology companies have embraced employee wellness in the workplace and is one way Silicon Valley companies like Facebook and Google distinguish themselves to recruit top talent. For example, last year on the blog we wrote about Facebook’s nine-acre green roof, complete with a half-mile walking loop, WiFi, and whiteboards so employees can work outdoors. Not only are these efforts sustainable and safe for the environment, but they are also useful for employee health.

Our home-base of Fremont, California is also going beyond sustainability for health with its efforts to promote transit-oriented development. The new Delta Americas (Delta) building opened in the Warm Springs District last year, and it is a net-zero, LEED Platinum certified development. Moreover, its location near a transit station helps employees cut down on stressful commute times and relax on their journey to and from work.

Ultimately, there are long-term financial benefits to Bay Area green building that includes wellness, including increasing the property’s value. Also, initial development fees are often reduced for green buildings. Compliance with programs like LEED and CalGREEN can result in lower utility bills, but the significant return for investing in employee health is realized in the form of human capital. The buildings we construct must withstand the changing forces of human values and environmental factors. We can all work together to ensure that the buildings we develop will be a safe and productive place for those who use them.

]]>http://info.landtech.com/beyond-bay-area-green-building-healthy/feed/0A Civil Engineering Perspective on Bay Area Growthhttp://info.landtech.com/civil-engineering-bay-area-growth/
http://info.landtech.com/civil-engineering-bay-area-growth/#commentsTue, 15 Mar 2016 20:20:35 +0000http://info.landtech.com/?p=343By Sonia Easaw with Kamal Obeid, S.E., PE Can the San Francisco Bay Area handle the growth? The Bay Area region is one of the most in-demand places in the country to live, especially for professionals in the technology industry. After all, it’s the place where tech companies come to grow, and subsequently, the region […]

Can the San Francisco Bay Area handle the growth? The Bay Area region is one of the most in-demand places in the country to live, especially for professionals in the technology industry. After all, it’s the place where tech companies come to grow, and subsequently, the region attracts great talent. However, the increased demand has contributed to a housing shortage, making it unaffordable for many, and it’s caused other problems such as traffic congestion and long commute times. Also, environmental conditions are much harder to predict with a warming climate. From a civil engineering perspective, the growth can last if development is well-planned and sustainable.

Development Growth Challenges

We used to be able to predict future conditions based on the past, says Bill Wallace, in an ASCE blog entitled “Leading Force in Sustainability Discusses What Needs to Happen Now.” But that’s not the case now. The most significant challenge for the civil engineering community is to develop safe and reliable infrastructure projects in the face of new and changing environmental conditions. Wallace adds that civil engineers must also to do this while overhauling basic standards and practices, which makes for an even greater challenge. However, transformation can happen with the right ingredients, and in the Bay Area especially, we need the right leadership and a public that understands the issues and the required investment. Often, here in the San Francisco Bay Area, technology companies lead the way for sustainable growth.

Successful infrastructure projects in the Bay Area often meet obstacles along the way, especially when existing utilities must be upgraded to handle the new load. The region is trending toward transit-oriented development as new Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations are opening and housing and retail are built around them. Cities and local jurisdictions are vigorously developing new community plans to achieve sustainable growth. However, the higher density development in emerging city-planned communities often meets existing outdated infrastructure, and environmental impact studies are commissioned to address the needs for infrastructure upgrades. Another environmental condition to account for in the Bay Area with projected growth is shrinking water resources, which can affect future planning.

Development Opportunities to Offset Strain

Plan for Samsung expansion. Credit: NBBJ

The good news is there are existing sustainability measures, such as more energy-efficient structures (e.g., LEED-certified buildings by the U.S. GBC) and water conservation requirements. For example, with every new development, there are opportunities to apply “low-impact development” (LID) rules for the sustainable management of stormwater runoff. Significant progress has been made in water conservation, stormwater infrastructure load reduction, groundwater recharging, and water re-use with the now-mandated Clean Water rules. These rules are incorporated into any new development, especially with the emerging trend of transit-oriented development.

From a civil engineering perspective, the Bay Area development demand is creating new opportunities for sustainably-designed communities and projects. Though there have been headlines of market turbulence, real estate market leaders say that the fundamentals of the U.S. economy are still strong, and delayed projects in the Bay Area should move forward as we gain confidence. However, to assess specific project impacts, a feasibility study should be done before development. Ultimately, the burgeoning Bay Area market demand will likely offset the upfront project investment. Timing, forces, stakeholders, and the civil engineering community have to work together for transformational, yet sustainable growth.

]]>http://info.landtech.com/civil-engineering-bay-area-growth/feed/1Silicon Valley Construction: What’s tech got to do with It?http://info.landtech.com/silicon-valley-construction-tech/
http://info.landtech.com/silicon-valley-construction-tech/#commentsFri, 22 Jan 2016 01:02:05 +0000http://info.landtech.com/?p=307The technology sector and Silicon Valley construction have always had a symbiotic relationship. The agreement between companies such as Google and Bay Area development has usually been good, for the most part. Since the time of Steve Jobs in his garage working to develop the Apple computer, to the hardware revolution that gave the Valley its […]

The technology sector and Silicon Valley construction have always had a symbiotic relationship. The agreement between companies such as Google and Bay Area development has usually been good, for the most part.

Since the time of Steve Jobs in his garage working to develop the Apple computer, to the hardware revolution that gave the Valley its name, technology has attracted the best, and the brightest to this part of California, and construction usually followed.

Desirable Silicon Valley Location

Silicon Valley Construction- Samsung PlanImage NBBJ

The Bay Area region has a long history of allowing tech companies to grow, provided they find ways to mitigate the effects of their expansion. For example, Mountain View, Calif. has become a hotbed of new development from some of the biggest names in tech: Google and LinkedIn. The City received proposals from them, as well as private developers, to add 5.7 million square feet of office space for an area the City had planned to allow just 2.2 million. Palo Alto, Calif., is going through a similar obstacle as Mountain View. Their City Council approved a plan to cap annual office development at just 50,000 square feet. Tech companies opposed the move, saying it was overly restrictive.

San Jose, Calif. – Img Public DomainThe City of San Jose, on the other hand, is welcoming new construction and wants to recruit the tech companies to their South Bay location. They face stiff competition from other Bay Area cities such as Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara, but hope that the plentiful land on the north side will give them an edge. After about ten years of planning, the transformation of 5,000 acres and $2.8 billion in new projects is coming to North San Jose. Companies such as Samsung that have chosen to build new campuses in North San Jose believe it to be a prime location to recruit top tech talent.

Silicon Valley Construction

From a relocation and development perspective, Silicon Valley construction is on fire right now, and the vast majority of tenant demand (80%) comes from the technology sector. The asking rate for office space has expanded for 16 consecutive quarters–a streak that hasn’t been seen since the dot-com boom days of the 90s. This commercial expansion in the Valley has led to job growth and demand for newly constructed properties in many other Western markets as well. With all this new construction, there will be a need for ancillary construction, such as more retail and residential developments to match the needs of new workers.

Orchard School Library. Image NBBJ

For cities like San Jose that want to attract high-profile companies, incentives are the way to go. For example, to encourage more projects and corporate expansion in North San Jose, officials have cut down development fees and red tape for developers and allowed a higher density than what was originally allowed. It makes sense for San Jose, a city that is betting on light rail and new Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations to make it work. Few had been opposed to this massive build-out plan in North San Jose, except for when the neighboring towns of Santa Clara and Milpitas, and Santa Clara County, sued San Jose in 2005 over potential traffic congestion that the new developments would cause for them.

Relationship Challenges

The special relationship between technology and Silicon Valley construction also offers a set of challenges. There is talk about a tech bubble, and according to economist Vikram Mansharamani, one of the indicators that identifies bubbles, usually before they burst, is tall skyscrapers. San Francisco’s new Salesforce Tower development will soon be the tallest building west of the Mississippi, but Salesforce is a company that has never turned an annual profit.

Samsung Plan – Image NBBJ

Even if there isn’t a bubble, there’s the dark side of tech behemoths gobbling up office space. For example, Google is rumored to intend to hire 5,000 workers in the Bay Area each year for the next five years. This will expand their offices by millions of square feet. Unfortunately, the race for space is leading to a dramatic rise in the cost of real estate. The rising costs force smaller companies to find new office space of their own, most likely in less expensive areas. There’s also the inevitable strain of the increase in office workers who will overload cities with traffic and make parking, even more difficult.

For this special relationship between tech and construction to flourish in Silicon Valley, innovation must accompany development for the future. Cities in the Bay Area such as Fremont, Calif. are already pushing for more transit-oriented-development. If more tech workers can live where they work, then fewer will have to drive there. Facebook, for example, is thinking about including residential apartments at its headquarters in a future expansion. Perhaps this will be the way to sustain the symbiosis between tech and new development in the Bay Area, as more and more people come here to live and work in Silicon Valley.

]]>http://info.landtech.com/silicon-valley-construction-tech/feed/0Downtown Fremont CA Emergeshttp://info.landtech.com/downtown-fremont-ca-emerges/
http://info.landtech.com/downtown-fremont-ca-emerges/#commentsThu, 03 Dec 2015 01:23:13 +0000http://info.landtech.com/?p=278In 1956, five townships came together to form Fremont, California. Sixty years later, the City is becoming more of an urban place than a suburb, especially with an additional new transit station and associated development. However, the City has lacked a central place, or downtown, to bring everyone together. In fact, the center of the […]

In 1956, five townships came together to form Fremont, California. Sixty years later, the City is becoming more of an urban place than a suburb, especially with an additional new transit station and associated development. However, the City has lacked a central place, or downtown, to bring everyone together. In fact, the center of the City is walking distance from an existing local BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station, but the land has historically been underutilized, filled with large surface parking lots and underused retail shopping centers. However, after years of planning, the possibility of a Downtown Fremont CA is emerging.

Downtown Vision & Planning

Because land development does not occur in a vacuum, many factors have come together over the years to breathe life into the construction of a Downtown District that previously existed only in drawings and site plans. The planned downtown encompasses 110 acres located within the City Center, and will bring an urban vibe of mixed-use development to a city that has traditionally been a low-density, vehicular-oriented suburb. There is a significant degree of flexibility within the land-use scheme, in particular for ground-floor space, to accommodate different kinds of buildings that adapt well to various uses and market conditions.

Ultimately, a Downtown District is an important economic investment for the City of Fremont, whose daytime employment population within a 1-mile radius is 15,000, and within a 3-mile radius, consists of more than 50,000 employees. Here are a few reasons for the Downtown Fremont Community Plan:

Downtown business districts are good centers for job creation.

Revitalizing the Downtown often results in the rehabilitation of vacant or underutilized land and buildings. This increases property values and can attract more business.

A bustling Downtown with mixed-use development can reduce urban sprawl.

The Downtown area will be a model of sustainable development that is pedestrian-friendly and serves as a community hub.

Fremont is also investing in a brand new Civic Center, consisting of a community center and plaza, and the first phase will begin construction by 2016. Assistant City Manager Jessica von Borck spoke about development activities and said that Fremont “is trying to create an indoor-outdoor public realm space that will be transparent and fluid for our community–a place for folks to gather and really celebrate being in Fremont.”

The next project to break ground is one by TMG Partners and Sares-Regis, and will be a mixed-use development called “State Street” that will add 157 residential units and about 20,000 square feet of new retail space to the Downtown. Ultimately, what Fremont is hoping to see in the Downtown will be 2500 housing units, up to 500,000 square feet of retail, and two million square feet of office development.

Downtown Development Incentives

The Fremont Downtown Community Plan states that “The City intends to reward new developments that adhere to Plan goals and guidelines with streamlined approval processes,” especially to make development in the early years “both economically feasible but also highly desirable.” To position the Downtown District as a priority area for development, the City is offering the following incentives:

Development does not occur in a vacuum, but when the right forces come together, just as when Fremont came together into one city from five separate townships. As the Bay Area changes, so the City adapts to meet the needs of its residents. Landtech Consultants, which has been located in central Fremont for over twenty years, is excited to see the Downtown Fremont CA District emerge.

Note: The office of Landtech Consultants, Civil and Structural Engineers, happens to be located in the heart of the planned Fremont Downtown District, and the firm has worked on Fremont and other Bay Area projects for over twenty years. Please feel free to contact them with any development or other questions.

]]>http://info.landtech.com/downtown-fremont-ca-emerges/feed/0Civil Engineering: Rethinking Water Projectshttp://info.landtech.com/civil-engineers-bay-area-rethinking-water-projects/
http://info.landtech.com/civil-engineers-bay-area-rethinking-water-projects/#commentsFri, 09 Oct 2015 21:23:41 +0000http://info.landtech.com/?p=248By Sonia Easaw with Kamal Obeid, PE, S.E. Water storage on a municipal scale in the West used to involve building dams and reservoirs such as the Folsom Dam, which would gush with water from the melting snow of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Now the snowpack is at its lowest measured record, and the water […]

Water storage on a municipal scale in the West used to involve building dams and reservoirs such as the Folsom Dam, which would gush with water from the melting snow of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Now the snowpack is at its lowest measured record, and the water levels of the reservoir may run so low this year that pumps will have to be installed to push water through the dam. Unfortunately, these warming conditions are likely to continue. In response to the “new normal” of drought conditions, the community of civil engineers and local jurisdictions must take a sustainable approach and rethink infrastructure to deal with potential severe water shortages. With the drought looming overhead (and below), here are four examples of water projects throughout the Bay Area and California involving desalination, groundwater recharge, stormwater capture, and recycled water.

Desalination

Salt water from the San Francisco Bay has been seeping into the groundwater basins that serve the cities of Alameda County (cities of Fremont, Newark, and Union City). Back in 2003, the Alameda County Water District, or ACWD, built the small Newark Desalination Facility to treat the brackish water. The effort proved fruitful when the plant supplied much-needed water to areas of the County during the drought and saved the ACWD about $4 million dollars a year. The plant uses a reverse osmosis membrane filtration process that requires high-pressure pumps that consume a lot of energy and contribute to additional carbon consumption. The energy-intensive, and therefore, expensive desalination process has also been known to pose a threat to ecosystems–the brine byproduct of desalination (a highly concentrated saltwater solution) can be dangerous to sea life if not properly mixed back into the ocean.

Supplying the County with clean water during drought periods was a resulting benefit of the small desalination plant but may not have been the primary reason for why it was built. There are some California jurisdictions, however, that have considered desalination treatment plants as a larger fix for water shortages. A one billion dollar desalination plant will be unveiled in Carlsbad, Calif. in 2016–what will be the largest one in the nation–and will supply San Diego County with seven percent of its water. However, desalination is considered more of last resort after other water conservation methods have been employed.

Groundwater Recharge

How do you capture and store clean water on a massive scale in a sustainable way? There are many ways of capturing and storing fresh water for municipalities, such as increased stormwater capture, reservoir expansion, or groundwater recharge and storage. A practical alternative to desalination in California is expanding the water supply beneath our feet. This method of recharging groundwaterhas been found to be much cheaper than other water supply options and offers more local control. Groundwater levels have been declining across the state because of the drought but also because of overuse, and so recharge becomes especially important to replenish the water into the groundwater basins or aquifers. Groundwater recharge can also be a barrier to seawater intrusion and help restore local ecosystems.

Some disadvantages to groundwater recharge include the financial costs to local communities though it is cheaper than surface storage or importing water. Also, natural recharge from rain and snow is not as readily available during times of drought, and so artificial recharge is the next option. But where will the water for artificial recharge come from, especially when the surface water from streams and rivers are not at peak-flow? Alternative water sources for groundwater recharge include treated wastewater, runoff from agricultural uses, and past stormwater capture.

Alameda County Water District (ACWD) considers recharge as a top priority for groundwater management. With the help of inflatable dams, water from the Alameda Creek is diverted into Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area for groundwater recharge. Rubber Dam No. 1 was installed back in 1971, and its fabric membrane was recently replaced this summer. The dam structure was upgraded to increase capacity (a project on which Landtech Consultants served as structural engineer of record).

Stormwater Capture

It may seem as if never rains in California, especially during drought years. But, stormwater is a good potential source of water that if captured and stored properly will be a valuable addition to water reserves. Los Angeles County adopted new rules in June 2015 for stormwater capture and reuse, which could serve as a model for the rest of the State. Though there is regulation monitoring the pollution of stormwater that flows into drains, the idea of capturing rainwater for reuse in California is a relatively new one. Rainwater harvesting supports a sustainable method of water management, and has been successful in other parts of the world such as Australia.

Recycled Water

Recharging groundwater and stormwater capture are necessary measures, but how about increasing water supply in the short term? Los Angeles County is considering additional water obtained through unconventional, though perhaps more sustainable, means. The County is talking with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) about a potential large recycled water program, which would recycle treated sewage. If it succeeds, it would be one of the biggest programs of its kind. Frequently, treated sewage is flushed back into the Pacific Ocean, but reuse systems can transform the water for other uses such as agricultural irrigation, other irrigation, and fire suppression systems.

The Santa Clara Water District already recycles water with the Silicon Valley Advanced Purification Center, the largest plant of its kind in Northern California. The facility receives treated water from a nearby wastewater treatment plant and further purifies the water with advanced techniques such as reverse osmosis, microfiltration, and ultraviolet disinfection. The result is eight million gallons of water.

The Bureau of Reclamation, created in 1902, developed the network of the 20th-century water infrastructure of dams, reservoirs, and aqueducts in the West. However, as climate change becomes our new reality, the community of civil engineers and municipalities must rethink water networks for the warming 21st century. Recycling water and recharging groundwater are practical, sustainable, and cost-effective methods and allow for more local control of the water supply. As civil engineers learn new skills to adapt to changing water infrastructure, the entire community can work together to increase California’s future water supply.

]]>http://info.landtech.com/civil-engineers-bay-area-rethinking-water-projects/feed/0Sustainable Development: Invest in a Green Roof?http://info.landtech.com/sustainable-development-invest-in-a-green-roof/
http://info.landtech.com/sustainable-development-invest-in-a-green-roof/#commentsFri, 11 Sep 2015 00:21:27 +0000http://info.landtech.com/?p=227By Sonia Easaw & Kamal Obeid, SE, P.E. When you think of sustainable development in the California Bay Area, you may think of CEQA, solar panels, and environmentally-friendly hipsters, but green roofs will probably not come to mind. Though San Francisco has some green infrastructure projects, the Bay Area region lags behind areas such as […]

Benefits of Green Roofs for California

Beautiful green roofs are more than just aesthetically pleasing. For example, the living roof atop San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences is made up of 50,000 porous vegetation trays that house an estimated 1.7 million plants, and in turn provide a home for local wildlife such as birds, insects, and other creatures. The green roof also reduces the energy needs for heating and cooling the Academy. Environmentally-responsible owners of many green-roofed buildings enjoy similar benefits such as the following:

You are likely aware of the many benefits that green roofs hold for every city, including cleaner air and water, greener spaces, and healthier communities. For example, the Academy’s green roof captures 100 percent of excess stormwater, thus preventing pollutants in the runoff from getting into the ecosystem. In general, green roofs offer many environmental benefits, including the following:

reduce carbon footprints by helping to reverse carbon emissions;

provide mechanisms for water conservation and stormwater harvesting;

offer landscape-based treatment for stormwater;

control and reduces storm peak flows;

and cool the local environment.

As mentioned above, some critical benefits that green roofs can provide a drought-stricken California is their ability to harvest water and slow down stormwater runoff. There will be an initial investment the first couple years to irrigate the green roof. However, a rainwater harvesting system built in conjunction with the green roof can divert runoff into tanks for storage, flushing, or irrigation. Now let’s take a look at the challenges presented by green roofs.

Challenges of Green Roofs in California

A green roof changes the construction and maintenance of a building. Once you introduce a green roof, standards for regular maintenance go up, and waterproofing is especially critical to ensure against leaks. Other wholesale failures include soil erosion, poor drainage, and slope instability.

Since a proposed green roof would need saturated soil placed at roof level, significant added weight must be supported by a given building. In seismic zones such as the Bay Area added roof level (top heavy) weights also create a challenge for structural seismic design. All told, when planning a green roof, a significant increase in structural construction cost is to be expected.

Last but not least, a green roof will be more expensive than a regular roof, and a thorough cost-benefit analysis would have to be conducted during the planning stages. Some of the cost implications for green roofs include the following:

a significant increase in structural construction cost to support the building’s weight and seismic design implications;

special waterproofing costs;

green roof maintenance costs;

and green roof irrigation needs, especially during a dry season.

To meet the challenge of the high costs of green roofs and other green infrastructure while dealing with increased stormwater pollution, some cities such as Washington, D.C. have set up a green infrastructure marketplace. Property owners who have green roofs, rain gardens, etc. receive credits they can sell to others who need to offset runoff from their developments. This system is also designed to increase water collection, which would be a great benefit for California. There have not been any general economic incentives for commercial businesses to reduce water usage, but it’s likely in the future that larger consumers of water resources will have to pay more. With the possibility of water rationing, green roofs become more economically appealing for commercial developments.

Green roofing is a great and socially responsible idea, especially as commercial businesses are becoming better corporate citizens with sustainable development. However, challenges remain, and it will be interesting to see how Bay Area cities, municipalities, and the private sector work together to make green infrastructure work for everyone. In the meantime, however, there are other “green” ways to get up to code with clean water requirements, such as with bio-retention methods. Perhaps in 50 years sustainable development such as green roofs will become more common in the Bay Area, and not just exist on Facebook’s campus or the California Academy of Sciences. Until then, however, it is best to consider both the challenges and benefits on a case-by-case basis before investing in a green roof.

]]>http://info.landtech.com/sustainable-development-invest-in-a-green-roof/feed/0The #1 Sustainable Development Feature for Silicon Valley Tech Companieshttp://info.landtech.com/sustainable-development-feature-for-silicon-valley-tech-companies/
http://info.landtech.com/sustainable-development-feature-for-silicon-valley-tech-companies/#commentsTue, 04 Aug 2015 19:42:45 +0000http://info.landtech.com/?p=209By Sonia Easaw, with Kamal Obeid, SE, P.E. Sustainable development for growing high-tech companies in Silicon Valley signifies they meet their present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. But green building is not just a buzzword for Apple, Google, Facebook, and other technology giants–they are incorporating environmentally-friendly features into their new campus developments. […]

Sustainable development for growing high-tech companies in Silicon Valley signifies they meet their present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. But green building is not just a buzzword for Apple, Google, Facebook, and other technology giants–they are incorporating environmentally-friendly features into their new campus developments. However, the number of solar panels or the acres of green space in a new campus is not as important as the impact the development has on the surrounding community. Community-oriented development, or the creation of vibrant communities, is the number one sustainable development feature for new technology company developments.

Silicon Valley is privileged to be home to three of the biggest technology companies in the world: Apple in Cupertino, Google in Mountain View, and Facebook in Menlo Park. The most important factor to the surrounding communities, however, is whether the new tech campuses are developed with the future of community in mind.

Fitting Into the Community: New Apple, Google, and Facebook Campuses

Apple Inc.,the largest company in the world, changed the face of the city of Cupertino, CA. Now they’re building a new spaceship-like campus in town, and residents will embrace thousands of new technology workers when the project finishes at the end of 2016. Residents and city leaders, though eager to welcome such growth, are concerned about Apple’s new campus’ potential impact on traffic and local charm. Apple said it would help alleviate increased traffic around the new site, and the City plans to improve pedestrian and bike paths. The City has also set aside more room for housing, by state regulation. But some residents do not like the added burden of growth in the town, and any expansion beyond Apple’s growth has generated backlash. In May 2015, the Cupertino City Council voted to restrict office expansion (except near Vallco Shopping Mall) amid community concerns about the impact of growth on traffic, schools, green spaces, and public transit.

Google’s New Headquarters:

Early in May, Google made its ambitious expansion plans known to the city of Mountain View, but the City Council rejected most of them. In late May, Google again filed plans, but this time for a project that was not a part of their original proposal. They are planning to construct a translucent domed headquarters on a site they acquired rights to before the City set limits on office expansion in the North Bayshore district. This is a district where thousands of technology workers travel to for jobs at Google, LinkedIn, Intuit, Microsoft, and other places. Google promises to ease City worries of increased traffic congestion by moving people around the district through biking and walking. The plans for the new building includes a publicly accessible nature path that will cut across the giant dome and connect pedestrians and bicyclists. But the City desires a holistic development plan that ties in housing, retail, offices, and public transit, and will hold community meetings this summer to help sort out how Google fits in.

Facebook’s Menlo Park Campus:

By Austin McKinley (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsFacebook’s newest campus in Menlo Park opened its doors in March and contains a nine-acre green roof, with a half-mile walking loop and 400 full-grown trees. The roof also has WiFi and whiteboards outside so employees can enjoy the California climate and work out-of-doors. But with its burgeoning size, Facebook knows the importance of connection with the community. The City of Menlo Park’s vision is for mixed-use land development with publicly accessible housing, retail, and a hotel, all of which Facebook supports. Facebook executives also want to take advantage of trails, a railway easement, and a tunnel to better connect their campuses and the surrounding Menlo Park neighborhood.

Apple, Google, and Facebook each realize that the surrounding community will be significantly affected by development. The shift from insular Silicon Valley campuses to those that simultaneously create vibrant communities within and around them is what every Bay Area city wants. Incorporating a city’s vision for community-oriented building will be the best way to go forward in the future, and is the number one sustainable development feature for every new Silicon Valley technology company.

]]>http://info.landtech.com/sustainable-development-feature-for-silicon-valley-tech-companies/feed/0New Fremont Land Development–Civil Engineering Perspectivehttp://info.landtech.com/new-fremont-land-development-civil-engineering-perspective/
http://info.landtech.com/new-fremont-land-development-civil-engineering-perspective/#commentsThu, 02 Jul 2015 22:48:34 +0000http://info.landtech.com/?p=197By Kamal Obeid, SE, P.E. with Sonia Easaw Fremont, CA is going from a suburban community to a thriving, well-planned urban city–fast. I have been practicing engineering in Fremont since 1987 and have seen its remarkable transformation over the years. To be sure, even within the last few years, there was the NUMMI plant closure, […]

Fremont, CA is going from a suburban community to a thriving, well-planned urban city–fast. I have been practicing engineering in Fremont since 1987 and have seen its remarkable transformation over the years. To be sure, even within the last few years, there was the NUMMI plant closure, then the advent of Tesla Motors Inc., and now the upcoming completion of the BART extension to South Fremont at the end of this year. From a land planning perspective, we are looking at a new face of Fremont development: more community-oriented than isolated industrial uses.

Land Use

The Fremont industrial expansion has been in the news, especially with Tesla leasing the old Solyndra building earlier this month. Nathan Donato-Weinstein of Silicon Valley Business Journal has aptly called the growing area of industrial tenants in South Fremont “Manufacturing Row” in a recent article.

Fremont City Planning has invested significant resources in planning studies for the area. In general, we have seen a confluence of activity and interest in the area because of the new technology boom and the connection to the regional transportation hub (BART). South Fremont is a highly sought after area for companies that are interested in a great place to work and live for their employees. As far as Fremont is concerned, we see the transformation of the city with the development of a critical mass that will change the city forever.

Takeovers and Transitions

Fremont has seen its share of changes; some of the biggest being the closure of the NUMMI auto plant back in 2010 and the Solyndra failure in 2011. But the closure of NUMMI may have been the best thing for Fremont, and the City has bounced back from the solar panel manufacturing firm disaster. With Tesla leasing the last available Solyndra plant earlier this month, Fremont can now officially bring that chapter to a close.

As much as the loss of NUMMI was a shock to the community, the gain of Tesla has been an incredible breakthrough. Fremont’s route into higher technology, research, and innovation makes the area a trendsetter. Not too long ago, and before Tesla, Fremont was blemished by the Solyndra fiasco. That is now almost forgotten.

Fremont no longer “industrial” in the old sense of the word

Currently, the number of people who come to work in Fremont equals the population that lives there. The planned transit-oriented development of Fremont’s Warm Springs Innovation District will offer housing, employment, and retail choices to more people working in Fremont. The Warm Springs District is expected to bring 20,000 new jobs to Fremont by the year 2040.

We are looking at a technology R&D expansion rather than industrial in the old sense of the word. The new face of development from the planning and engineering perspective is more community-oriented than isolated to industrial uses. Community-oriented development means a more mixed use of the land for people to live and work, as well as pedestrian-oriented, bicycle-friendly, and more sustainable in general. For any project within the area, the designer must be cognizant of the larger planning goals.

]]>http://info.landtech.com/new-fremont-land-development-civil-engineering-perspective/feed/0Fremont CA New Construction: Structural and Regulatory Issueshttp://info.landtech.com/fremont-ca-new-construction-structural-regulatory-issues/
http://info.landtech.com/fremont-ca-new-construction-structural-regulatory-issues/#commentsThu, 28 May 2015 18:30:09 +0000http://info.landtech.com/?p=154By Kamal Obeid, SE, P.E., with Sonia Easaw South Fremont, Calif., also known as the Warm Springs District, is one of the few unique places in the Bay Area with available land for commercial use, especially for research and development, or R&D projects. It is characterized by a few large vacant parcels of land, and […]

Fremont, CA. Image by NASA [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsSouth Fremont, Calif., also known as the Warm Springs District, is one of the few unique places in the Bay Area with available land for commercial use, especially for research and development, or R&D projects. It is characterized by a few large vacant parcels of land, and underutilized land, but is also home to advanced manufacturing companies and R&D companies such as Tesla Motors and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

However, as might be expected for development in the heart of the Bay Area, a thorough project planner would need to consider the regulatory issues and site constraints during the initial project investigation. Among these critical issues, at least three essential questions should be answered:

Does land-use/ local planning regulation support my project?

Is there sufficient project infrastructure to serve the proposed facility?

What environmental impact restrictions exist for the site?

Land-Use/Planning Issues

Warm Spring’s, or South Fremont’s, land-use policies are guided by a City leadership vision for a well planned mixed-use district, or a mix of commercial-related uses as well as residential uses. The City’s goal is to promote the development of a vibrant community with a mindful focus on a sustainable future.

Fremont’s land history was defined by its agricultural past and location in the southeastern portion of the Bay Area. It has evolved from an agricultural community to a diverse city with land uses including housing, open space, industry, and commerce. It is a large city that stretches about 90 square miles, but over half of this area is located in the Hills, Baylands, or Bay, and is wisely designated as open space. The remaining portion of the City, although largely developed, is interspersed with few large parcels of vacant underutilized land. Therefore, development in Fremont over the next 20-25 years will largely consist of infill projects on under-utilized parcels in areas planned for redevelopment.

The Warm Spring District’s Community Plan contains planning areas that specify the locations and boundaries of various land use mixes and intensities according to transit proximity, adjoining uses, and the desired types of development in that particular location. There are eight land uses such as Industrial, Research & Development, or Residential that embody the desired mix of uses (Mix A to Mix D). For example, Mix A allows for industrial and R&D use to provide for the optimum setting of advanced manufacturing, production, and research. The City of Fremont’s General Plan guides overall land development decisions for the City and includes elements such as sustainability, community character, and economic development. Ultimately, the City will be looking to implement land-use policies that optimize the remaining development potential for well-planned growth on underutilized land according to the overall Bay Area mass transit plan.

Along with the eight land uses mentioned above for the Warm Springs Community Plan, there are land use standards and factors that establish baseline minimum and maximum development and parking standards to meet regional and City goals. These land use standards include minimum site area, maximum parking, and minimum building intensity.

The General Plan and the Warm Springs / South Fremont Community Plan designate where new growth, infill, or redevelopment can occur, and by understanding the nuances of the desired and permitted uses for a specific piece of land, the successful project planner can make a more informed decision about a given project’s feasibility.

Sufficient Infrastructure

As is common practice, before a land developer acquires a piece of property, one of the first due diligence tasks is to determine whether the land has adequate infrastructure to serve the envisioned project. Infrastructure includes roadways, facilities, and utilities for site service. Infill site development may be as challenging and sometimes more challenging than developing on vacant land because of site-constraints. Redevelopment of previously improved land, in addition to being burdened with the hard costs of demolition, may be also burdened with far-reaching issues related to impact to surrounding uses and possible environmental constraints.

In many instances what appears to be adequate infrastructure on the surface, may prove to be inadequate upon a more detailed investigation of the site. For example, if the planned facility creates more traffic that could adversely impact the neighboring facilities, then a traffic study and possible mitigating street improvements must be considered for the project.

By and large, local governments in the Bay Area and Fremont specifically have allocated significant resources to planning and studies of specific areas that they are interested in redeveloping. As such, and as is typical of areas within Specific or Community Plans, a wealth of information is usually available for a project developer to assist with a specific site investigation. However, relying on readily available information, may in some instances fall short of formulating a full understanding of the infrastructure needs for a specific project. In short, a comprehensive site study that looks deeper into the needs of a given project is an absolute necessity for a successful feasibility analysis of a particular project.

Environmental Issues:

For sites that fall within a Community Plan, the local government as part of the planning process would conduct a general Environmental Study of the lands within the plan. In certain cases however, a specific project may still warrant additional environmental studies per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

It is important to note that a CEQA study is not simply limited to environmental impact issues involving the obvious environmental issues such wildlife, birds and other biological or ecological resources, but also includes any potential impact of the project on the community. Such impacts may include, to name a few, issues such as traffic, water resources, pollution, noise, cultural resources, historic character and any issue that impacts the community at large. An environmental study of such a general nature must involve a public process in the form on an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process.

It is likely that projects that fit the uses within a well-developed community plan will not require an EIR, because such a study would have been done as part of the planning process. But certain limited studies of specific issues of concern may be required. Such limited studies are administrative in nature and are done at the staff level.

Within 5 years, the Warm Springs District of Fremont, CA should have much of the planned public infrastructure in place, with a new transit station and residential communities occupying the area.Within 10 years, the Warm Springs area will be even better developed, with supportive retail and hotel establishments and renovation, expansion, and new construction in the older industrial areas. Finally, by the year 2035, the City hopes South Fremont to have a rejuvenated industrial section and be fully urbanized with new office buildings and users, and advanced R&D and manufacturing companies. Because of its special geographic and strategic location, the area is an ideal place for technology and research and development companies to locate.